Washington (AP) On Friday, the Supreme Court dismissed a challenge from Christian companies to the Affordable Care Act’s provision requiring preventative health care coverage, which impacts around 150 million Americans.
In a case concerning how the government determines which medical treatments and prescription drugs must be completely covered by private insurance under former President Barack Obama’s signature statute, commonly known as Obamacare, the court ruled 6-3.
The majority opinion of the court was written by Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Justices Neil Gorsuch and Samuel Alito joined Justice Clarence Thomas in dissenting.
The plaintiffs claimed that because the Senate has not established a voluntary board of medical experts to propose which services be covered, the process is unconstitutional.
Though the Republican president has been critical of his Democratic predecessor’s law, the administration of President Donald Trump defended the requirement in court. According to the Justice Department, the health and human services secretary has the authority to remove board members, thus Senate approval is not required.
HIV-prevention medications, lung cancer tests, statins to control cholesterol, and medications to reduce the risk of breast cancer in women are among the medications and services that may have been impacted.
After an appeals court invalidated certain requirements for preventive care coverage, the case reached the Supreme Court. The Texas residents and Christian employers claimed that they could not be required to offer complete insurance coverage for items like HIV prevention drugs and certain cancer screenings, and the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals agreed.
The issue was fought by prominent conservative lawyer Jonathan Mitchell, who defended Trump in a challenge before the supreme court regarding his eligibility to be on the ballot in 2024.
Because the United States Preventive Services Task Force’s members were not chosen by the president and confirmed by the Senate, the appeals court determined that the coverage criteria were unconstitutional.
According to a 2023 study by the organization KFF, the decision would still permit full-coverage requirements for certain procedures, such as cervical cancer screening and mammography.
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